Woman loses $33,000 in a dental procedure gone wrong—find out how to prevent her mistake
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We all know we should visit the dentist regularly, but life often gets in the way. It's easy to postpone those checkups, especially when things seem fine, leaving us vulnerable to unforeseen dental problems.
Sadly, many of us forget the importance of these visits until it's too late, a lesson painfully learned by a West Australian resident on her last visit to the dentist.
When Lynette Smoje decided to invest $33,000 in 'all-in-four' dental implants, she anticipated a future filled with confident smiles. Instead, the West Australian resident from Karratha has been left without teeth and significantly out of pocket.
The journey into Lynette's dental nightmare began in October 2022, when she consulted with Dr Rouvin Mahadeva in Port Hedland about the procedure for her upper teeth, which were 'all-in-four' implants.
‘It was a big decision to do it,’ she said.
The cost was steep, but Dr Mahadeva suggested he could access her superannuation to cover the $37,000 fee, which she managed to negotiate down from $45,000.
By March 2023, Lynette had paid Dr Mahadeva $28,000, unaware that an additional $8,000 would be taken from her super in taxes.
‘I still would have done it, but it would have been nice to be informed,’ she said.
After payment, Dr Mahadeva extracted all of her teeth and implanted screws into her jaws to prepare for the procedure.
And then, the nightmare began. A month passed by, and she was informed that Dr Mahadeva could no longer continue her treatment due to facing criminal charges.
‘I had an absolute heart attack, thinking I'm never going to get my teeth,’ she said.
In a bid to complete the process she had started, she was referred to another dentist, Dr Peter Terzi. This meant undergoing new moulds and X-rays, as Dr Terzi's methods differed from her previous dentist's.
But after several sets of temporary teeth broke and Dr Terzi became unreachable—also suspended due to criminal charges—Lynette was left in dental and emotional limbo.
Dr Mahadeva and Dr Terzi have pleaded not guilty to their respective charges. Still, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has suspended their licenses so that they cannot practice in Australia, leaving Lynette and potentially others in a difficult position.
She had ‘no qualms’ about the dentistry service she received but sought a $13,000 refund to seek treatment elsewhere.
'I appreciate that these eight screws in my jaw cost money and his time. I'm not asking for the whole $33,000 back. I just want what I was promised: two sets of teeth for $37,000,' she said.
Dr Mahadeva has appealed to AHPRA for an exemption to complete her treatment. He argued that he is 'actively working to resolve the situation' and believes it is 'prudent that we complete the treatment.'
'Issuing a refund now would not reflect the value of the advanced treatment already provided and would ultimately leave the patient needing to pay substantially more to complete the same work elsewhere,' he said.
Smoje lodged complaints with the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office in Western Australia and the Australian Dental Council, which referred her case to AHPRA. However, AHPRA said they lack the authority to arrange compensation claims or financial settlements.
'Where the health complaints entity is unable to negotiate a refund, patients may need to seek compensation through the relevant consumer affairs organisation or civil litigation,' AHPRA said.
She described her current dentures as 'thick,' 'yellow,' and 'cracking,' explaining that her self-consciousness has affected her ability to smile freely. Although the thought of travelling overseas for treatment has crossed her mind, the associated risks have held her back.
'I go to do a big smile, and then I quickly close my mouth. All I wanted was nice teeth,' she said.
Have you or someone you know experienced a similar situation with dental work or another medical procedure? How did you navigate the challenges, and what advice would you give others? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below.
Sadly, many of us forget the importance of these visits until it's too late, a lesson painfully learned by a West Australian resident on her last visit to the dentist.
When Lynette Smoje decided to invest $33,000 in 'all-in-four' dental implants, she anticipated a future filled with confident smiles. Instead, the West Australian resident from Karratha has been left without teeth and significantly out of pocket.
The journey into Lynette's dental nightmare began in October 2022, when she consulted with Dr Rouvin Mahadeva in Port Hedland about the procedure for her upper teeth, which were 'all-in-four' implants.
‘It was a big decision to do it,’ she said.
The cost was steep, but Dr Mahadeva suggested he could access her superannuation to cover the $37,000 fee, which she managed to negotiate down from $45,000.
A woman from West Australia lost $33,000 and her teeth after a ‘four-in-all’ implant procedure gone wrong. Credit: Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels
By March 2023, Lynette had paid Dr Mahadeva $28,000, unaware that an additional $8,000 would be taken from her super in taxes.
‘I still would have done it, but it would have been nice to be informed,’ she said.
After payment, Dr Mahadeva extracted all of her teeth and implanted screws into her jaws to prepare for the procedure.
And then, the nightmare began. A month passed by, and she was informed that Dr Mahadeva could no longer continue her treatment due to facing criminal charges.
‘I had an absolute heart attack, thinking I'm never going to get my teeth,’ she said.
In a bid to complete the process she had started, she was referred to another dentist, Dr Peter Terzi. This meant undergoing new moulds and X-rays, as Dr Terzi's methods differed from her previous dentist's.
But after several sets of temporary teeth broke and Dr Terzi became unreachable—also suspended due to criminal charges—Lynette was left in dental and emotional limbo.
Dr Mahadeva and Dr Terzi have pleaded not guilty to their respective charges. Still, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has suspended their licenses so that they cannot practice in Australia, leaving Lynette and potentially others in a difficult position.
She had ‘no qualms’ about the dentistry service she received but sought a $13,000 refund to seek treatment elsewhere.
'I appreciate that these eight screws in my jaw cost money and his time. I'm not asking for the whole $33,000 back. I just want what I was promised: two sets of teeth for $37,000,' she said.
Dr Mahadeva has appealed to AHPRA for an exemption to complete her treatment. He argued that he is 'actively working to resolve the situation' and believes it is 'prudent that we complete the treatment.'
'Issuing a refund now would not reflect the value of the advanced treatment already provided and would ultimately leave the patient needing to pay substantially more to complete the same work elsewhere,' he said.
Smoje lodged complaints with the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office in Western Australia and the Australian Dental Council, which referred her case to AHPRA. However, AHPRA said they lack the authority to arrange compensation claims or financial settlements.
'Where the health complaints entity is unable to negotiate a refund, patients may need to seek compensation through the relevant consumer affairs organisation or civil litigation,' AHPRA said.
She described her current dentures as 'thick,' 'yellow,' and 'cracking,' explaining that her self-consciousness has affected her ability to smile freely. Although the thought of travelling overseas for treatment has crossed her mind, the associated risks have held her back.
'I go to do a big smile, and then I quickly close my mouth. All I wanted was nice teeth,' she said.
Have you or someone you know experienced a similar situation with dental work or another medical procedure? How did you navigate the challenges, and what advice would you give others? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below.
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